Mobile phone games developer, In-Fusio, who have turned previous Microsoft titles like Midtown Madness 3, Zoo Tycoon 2 and Age of Empires 2 into mobile phone games, claims that Microsoft is actively trying to stop it from releasing a mobile version of Halo.
If anyone thought that Microsoft wasn't interested in mobile gaming, thanks to the Zune not (yet) being a portable Xbox that also plays mp3s, but instead an mp3, video and photo player only, guess again – through their partnership with In-Fusio, a number of Microsoft games have already gone mobile.
With this kind of pedigree, In-Fusio thought it would be a shoe-in for them to create a mobile version of Halo, Microsoft's most popular Xbox game of all time, with Halo 2 still being actively played despite being over two years old, an astounding stat in a world where we all constantly crave the latest and greatest, and testimony to the greatness of the Halo franchise.
In-Fusio claim to have submitted four plans for a mobile Halo game between February and September last year, with each allegedly rejected by Microsoft with no explanation, thus giving In-Fusio no direction on how to improve their efforts so as to get agreement from Microsoft to actually start creating the game itself.
In-Fusio also claim that Microsoft are asking for a payment of US $500,000 within 30 days or the license will be revoked, and it's because of all of this that In-Fusio are crying foul.
However the reason for Microsoft's actions must be pretty obvious even to In-Fusio – Microsoft just doesn't like what they've suggested and doesn't want to do any damage to its immensely popular and valuable franchise.
After all, Microsoft have already had to go through the Halo movie being cancelled/postponed, and the disappointment (to some) of the delayed Halo 3 beta, which we now know should be coming within the next two or three months, although the finished game itself is still months away from completion.
Granted, Microsoft should have been more professional with In-Fusio, and actually given them some good feedback, if In-Fusio's version of the events is to be believed. The devil's advocate says that In-Fusio should have delivered an incredible set of suggestions that they could definitely have delivered upon to impress the pants off Microsoft – something they simply couldn't have done, unless Microsoft somehow planned to 'steal' the idea from them and get another company to create the game.
Of course no-one really knows the true reasons for Microsoft's actions at this stage other than Microsoft, but whatever happens, it doesn't look like we'll be seeing a mobile version of Halo anytime soon.
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